Yankee sleight of hand: Derek deke? Jeter cheater?

New York Yankees' Derek Jeter, right, screams after being hit with a seventh-inning pitch by Tampa Bay Rays reliever Chad Qualls during a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Looking on is Rays catcher John Jaso. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
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New York Yankees' Derek Jeter, right, screams after being hit with a seventh-inning pitch by Tampa Bay Rays reliever Chad Qualls during a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Looking on is Rays catcher John Jaso. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
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Jeter, however, got right in character, especially after the ball hit the bat and sent vibrations up his arm. He fooled home-plate umpire Lance Barksdale, then managed to sneak a peek to watch Maddon's dispute.

"What can you do? My job is to get on base. He said it hit me, so I'm not going to argue with him," Jeter said.

Jeter's impeccable reputation for fairness and honesty might have helped him sell the call. Next time, pleading his case might not be so easy.

A former World Series MVP, the 36-year-old Jeter currently is stuck in one of the worst slumps of his career. With his team trailing by a run, he would take anything.

"I've been hit before when they said it hit the bat. It goes both ways," he said.

While the four umpires huddled to discuss the call, Maddon was certain the ball had nicked Jeter's bat and rolled out near the pitcher's mound. Maddon told Qualls to retrieve the ball and throw to first base, to get Jeter out.

No chance.

"Nobody could tell me that the ball hit his hand, in any way, shape or form, or his wrist. But everybody could tell me that the ball hit the bat," Maddon said. "I really hoped the play would be reversed based on pure, pure logic."

No luck there, either.

"Basically it hit the knob and it was a fair ball, and he was out at first. That's all there is to it," Qualls said. "He's Derek Jeter, but you know what? It's still the game of baseball and he was out, and that's the play that should have been called."

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AP Baseball Writers Fred Goodall in Tampa, Fla., and Janie McCauley in San Francisco contributed to this report.